2015 Spotlight: Philadelphia Phillies

One term comes to mind when summarizing the Phillies’ efforts this offseason: too little, too late. The organization should have sold off their expensive veteran players in the three seasons prior to this when it was becoming clear that this once-mighty east dynasty was running out of gas, or would at least require refueling. General Manager Ruben Amaro claimed that the team would win with its aging core members, even signing a few older players such as outfielder Marlon Byrd and pitcher A.J. Burnett last offseason.

Ryan Howard used to be a perennial MVP candidate. 

The inevitable happened, with franchise cornerstones such as first baseman Ryan Howard and catcher Carlos Ruiz both struggling through injuries and ineffectiveness. Second baseman Chase Utley still showed above-average productivity, but almost all of the other core members showed that the end was nigh. Management finally had a light bulb moment, pouncing at the opportunity to sell shortstop Jimmy Rollins and Byrd, but decided to hang onto their most expensive veterans when they should have been hosting a fire sale. In 2015, they will look to Utley, Howard and Ruiz to find the productivity from the prime of their careers, as unlikely as that may be.

Chooch.

Who to watch: Utley is the face of the franchise. He continues to show that he is one of the best second baseman in baseball even entering his age 36 season. He made his sixth All-Star game in 2014, posting healthy figures in batting average (.270), doubles (36) and games played (155). If he can stay healthy, I would expect to see another comparable season in 2015 from the fan-favorite. Look for him to get on base at a solid clip (.345), even if he doesn’t score as many runs due to the sluggers that will be hitting behind him.

Utley: the ray of hope in a dismal lineup.

Sleeper: Though reliever Ken Giles is currently penciled in as a set-up man to closer Jonathan Papelbon, he is certainly looking to be the Phillies’ closer of the future. In his rookie season in 2014, Giles made 44 appearances out of the bullpen and struck out 64 batters to the tune of a 1.18 ERA. Whether he is used as a setup man or closer in 2015, I could definitely see him throwing 60 innings, striking out 85 with a sub-2.00, even finding his way onto the All-Star roster.

Giles finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting.

Bust: I think that the team has put too much responsibility on the shoulders of third baseman Cody Asche. They are saying that he is going to take over first base duties once uber-prospect Maikel Franco makes his debut at third, but I don’t think he has earned an everyday spot in the lineup. Sure, Howard isn’t what he used to be, but he definitely has a much better track record that should indicate first base is his job to lose. Asche is a replacement level player (.2 WAR over the past two years combined). Why should anyone expect solid numbers from him at one of the premier spots in a lineup?

Asche-tray.

Bold prediction: This is a two-parter; outfielder Ben Revere leads the league in hits, earning an All-Star bid despite his lack of power, and Amaro is fired midseason. Revere led the NL in hits in 2014, so the All-Star bid should constitude the boldness of this prediction. The speedy center fielder is such a curious type of player. He has boasted healthy batting averages in every year since 2011, yet doesn't get on base as much as his managers would like (.324 lifetime OBP) and even with his elite speed he has only managed to accrue 44 doubles over the past four season. In essence, Revere has hit singes almost exclusively, and relied on his base stealing abilities to move himself into scoring opportunities that would be expected from a prototypical lead-off hitter. 2015 will be the season he gains fan popularity. 

Revere leads the majors in smiles per game..

 To be honest, Amaro is widely regarded as one of the worst GMs in the game. He should have been fired years ago,but his terrible decisions heading into this season will be the nail in his coffin.